Women-Owned Brands with Purpose at the Active Collection Show, Anaheim

Creativity and motivation inspire fashion at every turn. Athleisure and luxury basics brands with a purpose were on display at the recent Active Collective trade show in Anaheim, where yoga, fitness, loungewear, and lifestyle clothing collide into fashion. Here are some unique brands with purpose grabbing our attention.

With a mantra of “As You Are,” Avocado is an athleisure brand that celebrates women who love their complexities—women who are candid and heroic. Igniting women in being authentic and unique, Christina Choi, the founder, was inspired by her passion for fitness and health. Top attention-getting looks include the Astral aura serenity shred top and leggings, with sexy cutouts and fierce detailing. Avocado’s collection is made of seamless apparel. The designs are engineered to provide maximum comfort and fit for every curve, every shape, every day, street or studio. The collection is produced locally in Los Angeles as another part of the brand’s mantra to give back to the community.

Also produced in Los Angeles, Nicole Alex is a luxury basics collection for “effortless everyday wear that does not require a bra.” Designed by Nicole Zabel, the brand’s luxury basic tops are designed to be lived in, to take a woman from “from couch to brunch,” as all feature a built-in shelf-bra. Super-soft leggings offer complete, full coverage. Bestsellers are the Frankie Tank Top and Harlow T-shirt.

It’s “life on the fly” for Think Royln’s collection of cool. Former college roommates, best friends and fashion industry executives Kristin Wielenga and Pattie Friedman decided two years ago to create a collection of powerful bags and jackets—their way. Think Royln is a name that combines Wielenga and Friedman’s mothers’ names, to remind them of the strong women that made them who they are. The collection is designed for the busy woman, with many of the pieces born of necessity—like a collapsible poncho for New York’s precarious weather. Top pieces include the high-lo poncho, which folds into the small jacket pocket so you can take it with you on-the-fly. The Bum Bag is a hands-free bag to make it your own, either cross-body, fanny or waisted. Large bags such as the Wingman and Big Mama are popular in the urban jungle for those who need to carry lots of items, despite the trend of paring down. Each item is available in a variety of solids, prints and pearlized colorations.

Rainbows from above the world are what you will find in the Soulgani collection. Moved by beauty from travels around Peru and the world, Christina Majeed, founder of Soulgani, infuses nature and her surroundings into her active lifestyle collection. For examples, the print on Soulgani’s Strong Soul leggings is an image of Peruvian Rocks and the Twin Soul Sunrise features a rainbow taken by an astronaut in space. Finally, Twin Soul, Pink Salt is an image taken of Lake Air in Australia.

Mika Yoga Wear, designed by Laura Costa, is an eco-friendly line made for movement, inspiring you to be your most positive and bold self. Each piece purchased is carefully crafted by Mika’s dedicated teams in Peru and Brazil. The brand supports local artists and locally sourcing fabric to make sustainable fashion accessible, while continuing to stay on trend. Popular styles include the Viento Crop, Kaya High Waisted legging, Cielo Crop in White and Kaya legging.